After a couple of
days of steady snowfalls I thought I'd take advantage and have a
walk across the fields to Upleatham Church
- just a couple of miles from my home village of Skelton

This is the view
north-west from Barn's Farm towards the village of Upleatham and
Errington Woods

. . .

Despite the bitter
cold weather, it was a lovely feeling to know that today, mine
were the only footprints,
other than those of the odd wild deer, fox and rabbit, that were
visible in the blanket of snow that covered the ground

Before entering the
woods we look back south to Bowman Hill . . .

. . . and
south-west towards Guisborough Moor with a brief glimpse of
Roseberry Topping in the far distance

The afternoon,
wintry sky - it's forecast snow again tonight

I had to 'duck and
dive' under the overhanging branches above the little, narrow
footbridge in Fanny Bank Wood . . .

. . . before being
'alone' amongst the peace and quiet of the trickling sounds of
Skelton Beck

I was lucky enough
to see a heron later on, further downstream,
but I wasn't alert enough to get a photograph before it flew
gently and gracefully away

. . .

After crossing the
footbridge over the beck I got today's first glimpse of the tiny
Church of Upleatham at the top of the hill

. . .

Upleatham Church is
the smallest in the county of Yorkshire . . .

. . . and here is
the classic view

( my home village
of Skelton can be seen in the far distance to the left of the
church )